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(^105) The reader will notice the significant change from Melchi-Zedek, "My King
righteousness," to Adoni-Zedek, "My Lord righteousness," marking the change of
dynasties. See History of the Patriarchs, p.86.
(^106) Jerusalem, either the habitation of peace, or the possession of peace - perhaps
originally the habitation of Shalem.
(^107) Hoham: "the Jehovah of the multitude."
(^108) Piram: "coursing about," wild and free.
(^109) Japhia: exalted.
(^110) Debir: scribe.
(^111) We have so rendered the Hebrew particle "and" which is here used explanatively.
(^112) A German writer has noticed that a similar hailstorm determined the battle of
Solferino against the Austrians in 1859.
(^113) The word probably means "to become dumb." Accordingly, a recent Italian writer
has regarded it as a poetical expression for "ceasing to shine," and treated the event as
an eclipse of the sun. But the context shows that this view is untenable, and that "to
become dumb" means here to rest silent or stand still.
(^114) That is, like any ordinary complete day. We attach considerable importance to our
rendering as here proposed.
(^115) It is impossible here to enter on a detailed criticism. Substantially our view is that of
all the best critics, except that some regard the five lines after the parenthesis as the
remarks of him who inserted in the Book of Joshua the quotation from the Book of
Jasher. But the poetical terms used in these five last lines render this view, to say the
least of it, most improbable. Poetical expressions, similar to those used in the text, will
recur to the reader, specially Judges 5:20: "the stars fought out of their courses (not "in
their courses," as in Authorized Version) against Sisera." See also Psalm 18:10; 29:6;
114:4-6; Isaiah 34:3; 55:12; 64:1; Amos 9:13; Micah 1:4. The passage Habakkuk 3:11
does not refer to the event in the text, as its correct rendering is: "The sun and moon
enter into their habitation," that is, go into shadow. Our view does not, of course,
militate against a miraculous intervention on the part of God.
(^116) The locality of these two places has not been ascertained.
(^)